After the death of Caliph Muawiyyah in 680 C.E. in Kufa, Iraq there was huge demonstrations for me to become the third Imam. When I became the third Imam I was forced to flea to Mecca for safety from the Umayyad caliph, Yazid. In Mecca Yazid's men attempted an assassination on my life but failed to succeed.
The Kerbala Tragedy:
After the attempted assassination on my life I brought myself and 50 of my family members to confront Yazid, and protest against his tyranical government system, and to return the Ummah to the authentic practice of Islam. At Kerbala me and my 50 followers were slaughtered by the troops of Yazid. I was the last die out of everyone, with my infant son in my arms.
Slaughter at Kerbala
Important People
Imam Husain
I was the second son of the first Imam Ali, and the third Imam of the Shii. Although my rule was not very long i played a prominent and effecting role in the Shii community. I believed that when i marched to Kufa that our movement would show my strong opposition to tyranny as well as trying to bring back the ummah (the Muslim community) to a more "authentic practice of Islam". At Kerbala i died with my son in my arms. However one of my sons, Ali, survived the slaughter and became the fourth Imam and made sure that he avoided politics.
Imam Husain facing Yazid's troops
Yazid: Umayyad Caliph
Yazid was responsible for the death of me and my followers. He slaughtered us without mercy and has now become "the emblem of tyranny and injustice". Later on in history American President Jimmy Carter would be compared to Yazid by the Iranis.
Culture
Due to my death at Kerbala, a cult was formed as well as the Shii look at this tragedy as "a timeless event in their personal life".
Ashura is the fast day practiced annually on the day of my death.
At Ashura people weep, beat their bodies, and declare their opposition to Muslim political life.
Poets sing epic dirges in my honor.
Cult transformed my tragedy into a "religious vision" for all Shii Muslims.
Rawdat ash-Shuhada was an account written by an Iraqi Shii, Waiz Kashift, about the tragedy at Kerbala.
This account would be recited at rawda-khani "recitals of the Rawdat".
Ulema (Learned Men) Muhammad Baqir Majlisi transformed th ritual to honor my martyrdom.
Religion
Since I am a Muslim I follow the religion of Islam. I am also part of the Shii, which is a sect of Islam. The Shii believe that the ummah should be led by the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, which I am.
Map of Husain's Route to Kerbala
Route traveled by Husain
Blog
Blog Entry 1: Kufa, Iraq 680 C.E.
Today the people of Kufa demonstrated an act to make me the third Imam. It was an extremely powerful movement and resulted in me becoming and Imam "leader" of the Shii people. This is an extremely important day in my life and I will now be able to be apart of the Imam line, which my father had started in 656 C.E. I am nervous because i do not know if i will be a great leader like my relatives were. My people expect great things from me, and it is said that all Imams "enshrined the divine wisdom" and our the infallible guides of the faithful. This is the most important position a man can be in, in the Shii culture. My judgment affects the lives of all the Shii people that look at me as their guide.I hope that i will be just and will lead my people to prosperity and greatness.
Blog Entry 2: Mecca 680 C.E.
Today there was an attempted assassination on my life. I am not sure who sent these men to attack me but i have a feeling that it was Yazid, the new Umayyad caliph. From what I have heard, Yzaid, is a tyrant and rules his people brutally. I strongly disagree with the methods of Yazid and wish to change them. I have decided that i will march to his kingdom and confront this man on his actions and discuss the tyranny in which he rules with. He is a wicked man and discrased the holy city of Mecca by trying to kill me. Mecca is a place of sacred worship, it is not an area of petty selfish acts. It shows me that he has no respect for his own faith and he must be stopped at once. I will bring fifty of my relatives with me to Kufa, and we shall stand up for our views and bring the ummah back to its true Islamic followings.
Blog Entry 3: Kerbala
Today I saw a terrible sight of Imam Husain and his family being slaughtered by Yazid and his troops. This tradgedy occurred in the plains of Kerbala, just north of Kufa. Imam Husain was a man of thought and principle. Yazid was a man of envy and cruelty. Husain's death is being deeply mourned by the Shii people, he was a great leader and he sacrificed his life for his people. Because of Yazid's actions people are beginning to see their true leader and the madness he rules with. Yazid was a coward for not confronting Husain with his disagreements, instead he tries to have him assassinated, and slaughters him and his family, who were greatly outnumbered. Husain's death will not go unremembered, this day will always be a day of sadness for the Shii people and it shall never be forgotten.
||The Wall ||
- I am happy of what i did, and if i had another chance i would do it again. Husain was weak and I am strong. I may be looked at as a tyrant, but that does not bother me I am all that is mighty and great. Non shall question me for if they do i will do the same to them as i did to Husain and his followers. People try to make me look like the bad guy, but to be fair Husain came after me in my land.
Yaizd
Bibliography
Information:
Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism(New York: Ballantine Publishing Group 2000)
Imam Husain (3rd Shii Imam)
Friends
Islamic EmpireHistorical Highlights
Becoming the 3rd Imam:680 C.E.
After the death of Caliph Muawiyyah in 680 C.E. in Kufa, Iraq there was huge demonstrations for me to become the third Imam. When I became the third Imam I was forced to flea to Mecca for safety from the Umayyad caliph, Yazid. In Mecca Yazid's men attempted an assassination on my life but failed to succeed.The Kerbala Tragedy:
After the attempted assassination on my life I brought myself and 50 of my family members to confront Yazid, and protest against his tyranical government system, and to return the Ummah to the authentic practice of Islam. At Kerbala me and my 50 followers were slaughtered by the troops of Yazid. I was the last die out of everyone, with my infant son in my arms.Important People
Imam Husain
I was the second son of the first Imam Ali, and the third Imam of the Shii. Although my rule was not very long i played a prominent and effecting role in the Shii community. I believed that when i marched to Kufa that our movement would show my strong opposition to tyranny as well as trying to bring back the ummah (the Muslim community) to a more "authentic practice of Islam". At Kerbala i died with my son in my arms. However one of my sons, Ali, survived the slaughter and became the fourth Imam and made sure that he avoided politics.Yazid: Umayyad Caliph
Yazid was responsible for the death of me and my followers. He slaughtered us without mercy and has now become "the emblem of tyranny and injustice". Later on in history American President Jimmy Carter would be compared to Yazid by the Iranis.Culture
Religion
Since I am a Muslim I follow the religion of Islam. I am also part of the Shii, which is a sect of Islam. The Shii believe that the ummah should be led by the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, which I am.
Map of Husain's Route to Kerbala
Blog
Blog Entry 1: Kufa, Iraq 680 C.E.
Today the people of Kufa demonstrated an act to make me the third Imam. It was an extremely powerful movement and resulted in me becoming and Imam "leader" of the Shii people. This is an extremely important day in my life and I will now be able to be apart of the Imam line, which my father had started in 656 C.E. I am nervous because i do not know if i will be a great leader like my relatives were. My people expect great things from me, and it is said that all Imams "enshrined the divine wisdom" and our the infallible guides of the faithful. This is the most important position a man can be in, in the Shii culture. My judgment affects the lives of all the Shii people that look at me as their guide.I hope that i will be just and will lead my people to prosperity and greatness.Blog Entry 2: Mecca 680 C.E.
Today there was an attempted assassination on my life. I am not sure who sent these men to attack me but i have a feeling that it was Yazid, the new Umayyad caliph. From what I have heard, Yzaid, is a tyrant and rules his people brutally. I strongly disagree with the methods of Yazid and wish to change them. I have decided that i will march to his kingdom and confront this man on his actions and discuss the tyranny in which he rules with. He is a wicked man and discrased the holy city of Mecca by trying to kill me. Mecca is a place of sacred worship, it is not an area of petty selfish acts. It shows me that he has no respect for his own faith and he must be stopped at once. I will bring fifty of my relatives with me to Kufa, and we shall stand up for our views and bring the ummah back to its true Islamic followings.Blog Entry 3: Kerbala
Today I saw a terrible sight of Imam Husain and his family being slaughtered by Yazid and his troops. This tradgedy occurred in the plains of Kerbala, just north of Kufa. Imam Husain was a man of thought and principle. Yazid was a man of envy and cruelty. Husain's death is being deeply mourned by the Shii people, he was a great leader and he sacrificed his life for his people. Because of Yazid's actions people are beginning to see their true leader and the madness he rules with. Yazid was a coward for not confronting Husain with his disagreements, instead he tries to have him assassinated, and slaughters him and his family, who were greatly outnumbered. Husain's death will not go unremembered, this day will always be a day of sadness for the Shii people and it shall never be forgotten.||The Wall ||
- I am happy of what i did, and if i had another chance i would do it again. Husain was weak and I am strong. I may be looked at as a tyrant, but that does not bother me I am all that is mighty and great. Non shall question me for if they do i will do the same to them as i did to Husain and his followers. People try to make me look like the bad guy, but to be fair Husain came after me in my land.Yaizd
Bibliography
Information:Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism(New York: Ballantine Publishing Group 2000)
Images:(in order)
http://www.hf.uib.no/religion/popularikonografi/bilder/20b.jpg
2nd and 3rd picture
http://www.az-customs.net/news/photo/Quran.jpg
http://ccn1.net/POTD2/al-hussein-map.jpg